Grape vine

ABSTRACT

A grape vine generally similar to the Black Rose grape vine (unpatented), but distinguished therefrom by being of more vigorous growth and by bearing grapes which mature about 30 days later, which have superior shipping characteristics, and which ripen more evenly so that each grape of the new variety is more uniformly and darkly colored than grapes of the Black Rose variety.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW VARIETY

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of grapevine, which is generally similar to the Black Rose Grape vine (anunpatented variety developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture), butis more vigorous and which bears grapes having a darker and more uniformskin coloration and a tougher skin which provides superior shippingqualities, the new variety being especially characterized by bearinggrapes which ripen about 30 days later than grapes of the Black Rosevariety.

As in fresh fruits of all kinds, it is important that table grapes reachthe consumer in good condition and it is highly desirable that thegrapes have a pleasing color. Commercial success of a variety of plantsbearing relatively perishable fruit is greatly enhanced if the plantbears fruit at a season when generally similar fruits are not available.A large size and superior flavor are, of course, desirablecharacteristics of table grapes as well as other fruits.

There are several varieties of grape vines bearing large so-called blackgrapes for table use, one of the best known being the Ribier or AlphonseLavallee variety (unpatented) and another being the Black Rose variety(unpatented). The Ribier grape vine is noted for its bearing of grapeswhich are of a uniform dark color and of large size and which ship well.However, the grapes of this variety are somewhat lacking in flavor. Onthe other hand, grapes borne by the Black Rose variety have a superiorflavor to those of the Ribber variety and are even larger in size.However, the skin of grapes borne by the Black Rose variety of grapevine is relatively tender and is thus not adapted for shipment torelatively distant markets. Further, bunches of the Black Rose varietydo not ripen evenly so that the coloration of individual berries isundesirable in that all berries do not attain a uniform black color,some being streaked with reddish-purple and others having substantialareas which are greenish in color.

Therefore, it is recognized as being highly desirable to provide a grapevine bearing fruit similar in size and black coloration to those borneby the Black Rose and Ribier varieties and which ships well, has adesirable flavor, and has berries of large size and of a substantiallyuniform, dark coloration. It has long been known that such a variety ofgrape vine would be particularly desirable if its fruit ripened at atime substantially later in the season than the fruit of other grapevines bearing large dark grapes.

ORIGIN AND ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The new variety of grape vine was discovered by me in 1975 as a seedlingon my farm near the intersection of Frankwood and Goodfellow Avenuesnear the City of Reedley, in the County of Fresno, in the State ofCalifornia.

For many years, I have cross-pollinated grape blossoms, or had themcross-pollinated, obtained the resultant seeds, and grown seedlingsproduced from such seeds all in a vineyard on my designated farm with aview toward developing improved varieties of grape vines. The subjectvariety grape vine originated as a seedling from cross-pollinationbetween grape vine varieties on my farm; however, the records of theparent grape vines involved in such cross-pollination and the resultingseedlings were inadvertently destroyed in 1963 and the parental sourceof the new variety is unknown.

The new variety was asexually reproduced by me by cuttings in 1978 on mydesignated farm, and the fruit and vine characteristics resulting fromthe cuttings proved identical to those of the original seedling.

SUMMARY OF THE NEW VARIETY

The instant variety of grape vine is generally characterized by bearingfruit of large size and blunted elliptical shape, the fruit having askin which is substantially black and bears a heavy but easily removedgrayish-blue bloom. The new variety is also generally characterized byhaving leaves of extremely large size, the length and width of theleaves being about 240 mm.

The new variety of grape vine most nearly resembles the Black Rose(unpatented) variety but is distinguished therefrom in three importantways. First, the grapes borne by the new variety ripen approximately 30days later than the grapes borne by the Black Rose variety. Second, theskin of grapes borne by the new variety is substantially tougher thanthat of the Black Rose variety. Third, the stems of the individualgrapes borne by the new variety, sometimes called "cap stems", aresubstantially heavier and more firmly attached to the grape than arestems of grapes of the Black Rose variety. The new variety is,therefore, superior in shipping and storage characteristics to the BlackRose variety. Finally, the skin color of fruit of the new variety issubstantially a solid and uniformly dark in contrast to that of theBlack Rose, which is frequently striped with reddish-purple with manyberries shading toward the base to reddish-purple and even to lightyellow green.

Further comparing the new variety with the Black Rose variety, theberries of the new variety have relatively blunt ends and are somewhatsmaller. Under comparable growing conditions, the length and diameter ofgrapes of the new variety average 21 mm and 28 mm, respectively, whilethe corresponding dimensions of the Black Rose variety average,respectively, 23 mm and 30 mm. Each berry of the new variety typicallyhas two mature and one immature seed, while berries of the Black Rosevariety typically have two or three mature seeds. The new variety ofgrape vine is further distinguished from the Black Rose by being morevigorous and by the above-mentioned larger leaves.

In comparison with the well-known Ribier or Alphonse Lavallee(unpatented) variety of grape vine, the fruit of the new variety has asuperior flavor and the berries are substantially larger and aresubstantially elongated. Under comparable growing conditions, berries ofthe Ribier variety are nearly spherical, having a length and diameteraveraging, respectively, 25 mm and 32 mm, while the correspondingdimensions of berries of the new variety are 21 mm and 28 mm. The skinof berries of the Ribier variety is a solid dark color while the skin ofa small minority of the grapes of the new variety has a darkreddish-purple cast and/or a narrow annulus of dark purple about thestem. The skin of fruits of the new variety is tougher than the skin ofthe Ribier variety, and the skin of the latter variety lacks the heavybloom of the new variety. Each berry of the Ribier variety, typically,has one or two mature seeds in contrast to the new variety in which eachberry, typically, has two mature seeds and one immature seed as beforestated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying drawing is a color photograph of a bunch of maturegrapes of the subject variety together with a pair of representativeleaves and with two grapes which are divided to show the flesh color andseed arrangement and are disposed adjacent to a scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring more specifically to the pomological details of this new anddistinct variety of grape vine, the following has been observed underthe ecological conditions prevailing in the above-designated farm nearReedley, Calif. All color code plate identifications and color names inquotation marks are by reference to the Maerz and Paul Dictionary ofColor, Second Edition, published in 1950 by the McGraw-Hill BookCompany, Inc., other color names being common descriptive names.

VINE

Size: Large.

Growth: Vigorous, more vigorous than the Black Rose variety(unpatented).

Productivity: Heavy and regular.

Canes:

Thickness.--Stout.

Joints.--Average spacing.

Tendrils.--Medium in thickness, length, abundance, and strength.

Foliage: Many leaves, the leaves being of extremely large size --average width 220 mm, average length 225 mm, the largest specimenmeasured having a width of 280 mm and a length of 250 mm.

Color.--At time of harvest of the fruit, upperside from "Parrot Green"(21 L 6) to dark yellow green (24 J 3) on older leaves; lowerside,greenish-yellow (21 J 3).

Margin.--Shallow indentations.

Flowers: Average in number and similar in form and color to those of theBlack Rose variety; blooming season 7 to 10 days.

FRUIT

Maturity: About 30 days after the Black Rose variety, approximately Oct.15 on the above-identified farm; ripening a bit early, on Oct. 8 in1980.

Size of grapes: Large; diameter from 16 mm to 23 mm, average 21 mm;length from 23 mm to 34 mm, average 28 mm.

Average number of bunches to vine: 30 to 40.

Number of seeds to grape: Typically two mature and one immature seedsper grape.

Skin: Tight; tougher than skin of Ribier variety (unpatented).

Color:

Skin.--Substantially black, darker than any sample of plates 48 or 56,with heavy, easily wiped-off blush of "Hussar" (38 D 9); some berrieslightening toward base to narrow, 1 mm or 2 mm in width, annulus of darkreddish-purple (47 L 5).

Flesh.--Similar to Black Rose with berry divided longitudinally andcentrally and skin otherwise intact; very light greenish-yellow (19 B 2)between seeds on longitudinal centerline and, peripherally, light olive(21 F 2).

Bunches ripen: Evenly.

Texture: Medium.

Flavor: Superior to Ribier.

Shipping quality: Excellent.

Storing quality: Excellent.

Use: Fresh table.

Although the new variety of grape vine bears the describedcharacteristics as a result of the growing conditions in Fresno County,Calif., in the central part of the San Joaquin Valley, it is to beunderstood that variations of the usual magnitude in characteristicsincident to growing conditions, fertilization, pruning, and pest controlare to be expected.

Having thus described and illustrated my new variety of grape vine, what is new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of grape vine, substantially as illustrated and described, characterized by its resemblance to the Black Rose grape vine (unpatented), which it most nearly resembles, in bearing fruit of large size having a dark, approximately black skin, the new variety being characterized as to novelty by having leaves of extremely large size and berries having a heavy bluish-gray bloom and by being distinguished from the Black Rose variety in that the new variety is of more vigorous growth and bears fruit which matures about 30 days later, has superior shipping qualities due to a tougher skin and heavier stem, and being further distinguished from the Black Rose variety by more even ripening of each bunch so that each berry of the new variety has a skin color which is substantially solidly and uniformly dark except for a small annulus about the stem. 